The best long lunches in Melbourne

Revel in the long lunch. It's the kind of occasion where deals are made, life milestones are celebrated, and champagne is called for. The best spots in Melbourne hit all the right notes when it comes to lavishness (just enough) and quality of the lunch menu. Continue the celebration elsewhere at Melbourne's best wine bars and cap the night off at a whisky bar.

Legendary 108-year-old Galatoire’s Restaurant in New Orleans has an expression: ‘doing the turn’, aka, accepting that lunch will become dinner. And we’d turn on a dime at Ronnie Di Stasio’s little Italian art-house.

Start on the front terrace with a dry Spanish white wine or a Campari and soda. Then move to the antique-filled dining room for venison carpaccio, salads, whole fish and everything from the dessert trolley.

It’s the sandstone and wood treehouse restaurant pitched up a hill overlooking Apollo Bay, with a menu that nods towards Greece. Get out of town, eat lunch till it’s dark and then sleep over in one of the cabins.